


Hold Onto The Nearest Thing

by TheGirlInThePinkScarf



Category: Baseball RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Boston Red Sox, Multi, Sex as an unhealthy coping mechanism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:36:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22778377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlInThePinkScarf/pseuds/TheGirlInThePinkScarf
Summary: Sale wants to feel something other than sorrow right now and he’s pretty sure that Nate’s dick is exactly what he needs.
Relationships: Chris Sale/Nathan Eovaldi, Nathan Eovaldi/David Price, Rick Porcello/Chris Sale
Kudos: 3





	Hold Onto The Nearest Thing

**Author's Note:**

> I planned on writing my first fic with Chris and Nate under different circumstances.
> 
> After the Mookie and DP trade was made official, I just had to write my feelings out.
> 
> Title taken from a lyric in “Like We Never Had A Broken Heart” by Trisha Yearwood, I definitely drew inspiration from the entire song for this fic.
> 
> This fic focuses on Chris and Nate but since Chris and Rick’s relationship and Nate and David’s relationship are relevant to the plot, I tagged them.
> 
> Warnings: I feel like I should warn for begging of rough sex and sex that leaves bruising.

* * *

_Let's keep hangin' on_

_So we won't fall apart_

_Let's make love tonight_

_Like we never had a broken heart_

_ **Like We Never Had A Broken Heart- Trisha Yearwood** _

* * *

When Chris sees Nate in the locker room for the first time at spring training, he immediately recognizes the look on his face. It’s the same “I can’t really believe the love of my life plays for another team now” look that Sale also has on his face. He went into the 2019 season knowing there was a chance the Sox wouldn’t re-sign Rick but he somehow still wasn’t prepared or ready for it. Looking around and seeing no Sandy, David Price, or Mookie hurts him, too. He takes the short walk over to Nate’s locker and he sits down next to him. The smile he shoots him doesn’t quite reach his eyes and Chris completely understands it.

“Got any plans tonight?” Chris wonders.

Nate shakes his head. “Not really, just gonna call David sometime later.”

“Wanna get tacos for dinner?” Chris offers.

“Sure,” Nate agrees.

* * *

“You’re quiet tonight,” Rick says over the phone.

“Sorry. I’m just tired,” Chris replies.

“I can hang up if you want to call it a night,” Rick tells him.

“I have dinner plans with Nate and then I’ll probably hit the sack,” Chris comments.

“Is it a date?” Rick asks.

“What? No, it’s not like _that_. It’s just that he knows what I’m going through and I don’t have to pretend to be ok around him,” Chris explains.

“You’re both lonely, so maybe it is a little bit like that,” Rick mentions.

“I don’t want Nate if that’s what you’re trying to say,” Chris lets him know.

“Maybe not, but you know what they say about misery loving company . . . ”

Before Sale can respond, there’s a knock at his hotel room door. He assumes it’s Nate since he’s not expecting anyone else. Rick can hear the knock on his end so he tells Chris goodnight. He opens the door for Eovaldi and he lets him into his room. Chris tells him that he just has to put on his shoes and find his car keys and then they can head to his favorite Mexican restaurant in town. Nate’s wearing a tight dark blue button-up shirt and a nice pair of ripped jeans. His hair is slicked back and suddenly Rick’s “Is it a date question?” is at the forefront of his mind. He looks down at his plain white t-shirt and red basketball shorts and suddenly Chris feels under-dressed.

“I didn’t realize we were dressing up,” Chris jokes.

“I literally just grabbed the first thing out of my suitcase. You look fine though. We’re only going to get tacos,” Nate reminds him.

* * *

“How are the fish tacos here?” Nate asks as he looks over the menu.

“They’re really good. Rick used to order them a lot. Fuck, I told myself that I wouldn’t mention him tonight,” Chris says.

“I talked Mitch’s ear off earlier about DP. It’s healthy to talk about your feelings, you know,” Nate advises.

Chris sighs. “Healthy? Yeah, maybe. It doesn’t help make me feel better though. Talking about Rick makes me think about him. Thinking about him _hurts_. It hurts in a way that I can’t get any relief from like a physical injury. I fucking hate it.”

“I know, me too. My emotions are all over the place. I feel sad, then mad, and everything else in between. I just want him back,” Nate softly says.

“Rick’s what made Boston feel like home for me. I feel incomplete and empty now,” Chris admits.

“I doubt it will actually help anything, but you can always vent to me. I’m here for you whenever you need me,” Nate tells him.

“Same to you,” Chris replies.

* * *

Nate can’t stop talking about how good the tacos are. He tells Chris that he understands why this place is his favorite spot. Sale’s phone vibrates and he gets the notification that it’s a text from Rick. He doesn’t want to read it right now because he’s not in the right headspace. They’re only like three hours away from each other right now, but they might as well be on different planets. That distance is only going to grow more significantly as the season starts. Chris is so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t immediately hear their waiter ask if he and Nate want their checks separate or together. He also misses Nate saying that he’ll pay for both of them.

“I thought I lost you for a second there,” Nate teases.

“I zone out sometimes, sorry!” Chris apologizes.

“It’s understandable given the circumstances. We can go as soon as our waiter comes back with the check,” Nate says.

* * *

“Do you wanna fuck?” Chris asks as they get on the elevator.

“Are you asking because I paid for dinner? Because you don’t owe me sex because I bought you tacos!” Nate remarks.

“I could use a distraction and I think you could, too. I get it if you’re not interested though. No hard feelings if you don’t want to,” Chris earnestly tells him.

Nate nervously scratches the back of his neck. “My room or yours?”

* * *

Nate is not Rick and that’s kind of the point. His mouth tastes like a mix of onion, cilantro, and something distinctively not Rick. Nate’s lips are hesitant, almost like he doesn’t quite know what to do. He’s gentle in a way that Chris isn’t interested in right now. To help move things along, he sticks his hand down Eovaldi’s jeans as their kiss intensifies. He’s pleasantly surprised to find that he’s not wearing boxers. He can tell how big Nate is even though he’s only half-hard. He continues stroking his cock as they clumsily make their way toward Sale’s bed. Their shoes and clothes are quickly discarded as Chris begs Nate to fuck him.

“Don’t go easy on me, I want to feel it,” Chris whispers directly into his ear.

Nate lifts Sale’s chin up. “Hey, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t, just give it to me hard enough that it’s all I can think about. Fuck me hard enough that it makes me forget,” Chris tells him.

Sale wants to feel something other than sorrow right now and he’s pretty sure that Nate’s dick is exactly what he needs. Chris tosses a condom and a small bottle of lube onto the bed so that they won’t have to stop to grab them later. When Nate gets on top of him, he immediately thinks about how much different his body is from Porcello’s. Rick is all arms and legs while Nate’s built like a human version of a Mack truck. He’s muscular and strong and Chris truly feels small underneath him. If Nate really wanted to hurt him, he could do it pretty easily. He could completely impose his will and Chris would probably let him. Sale never asked Rick to treat him like this and he never will. He just needs this from Nate right now.

Nate thinks about the last time he and David had sex. It was while the trade to Los Angeles was technically in limbo after it was reported that Minnesota wanted to pull out. It was passionate in the softest way. There were tears and it was sad because they were saying goodbye to each other. It’s nothing like what he and Chris are about to do and Nate’s not exactly mad at that. He’s used to DP being in control of things even while bottoming, but he has a feeling that Sale just wants to be used right now. Nate gets it, they’re both just trying to survive and not fall apart.

Nate’s not surprised when he sees Chris add some lube to three of his own fingers and shove them in all at once. He’s impressed and slightly disturbed at the same time as he watches Sale prep himself. It’s clear that he’s desperate to be fucked. Nate quickly realizes that he’s just as desperate to be inside him. He reaches for the condom and he hastily puts it on because he can’t wait any longer. As soon as Chris removes his fingers, Nate makes his way in between his legs. He’s used to checking in with David before making his first move, but he just thrusts inside Chris in one slow, smooth motion. They both moan when he’s fully inside.

“Everything really is bigger in Texas, huh?” Chris jokes.

He laughs despite the fact that Chris isn’t the first guy to make that joke. Nate’s used to feeling David’s body which isn’t as thin as Sale’s is. His prominent hip bone feels sharp and almost uncomfortable underneath his palm. Nate’s legitimately large hand feels even bigger as he grips Chris’ slender hip. He’s not even applying that much pressure and he’ll probably end up leaving a bruise anyway. Nate thinks about removing his hand, but Chris tells him it feels good. Eovaldi would ask him if he were sure under different circumstances, but the satisfied look on Sale’s face tells him everything he needs to know. It’s the first time Chris has seemed at peace all night.

The weight of Nate’s body on top of him is unfamiliar enough that it’s exactly what Chris needs. He runs his fingers down Nate’s muscular back and it makes him groan. Sale repeats the action to hear him moan again. It’s slightly different from the way he grunts when he’s on the mound. It sounds nothing like Rick though. Nate’s broad shoulders look mildly intimidating in the dimly lit room. Chris traces over the strong muscles with his hands. He can’t remember the last time he intimately felt a body that wasn’t Porcello’s. He slides his hand up to Nate’s neck and he just leaves it there for a few moments.

Sale’s long, slim fingers feel foreign but welcome on his neck. He’s used to how talkative that Price is in bed. David never ran out of words to say and Nate always appreciated that. The headboard banging against the wall and the occasional gasp from Chris are the only sounds not coming from him that fill the room. There’s no teasing, no dirty talk, or no praise telling Nate that he’s doing a great job. He’s surprised to find Chris has his eyes open when he looks down at him. Nate expects him to look away because eye contact feels too intimate for this setting. He realizes that Sale isn’t looking _at _him though. His eyes are glossed over like he’s not really there. Of course, neither man is 100% present, not really.

“Harder,” Chris demands.

“I don’t think the bed can handle me going any harder,” Nate responds.

Chris caresses Nate’s cheek. “Please, Nate. Just . . . _please_. I’m so close to not feeling the pain anymore. I just want to feel you and nothing else.”

Nate can’t think of anything appropriate to say, so he just bends down to kiss him hard. It’s an uncoordinated mess of lips and teeth smashing together, but it gets the job done. He sucks on Sale’s bottom lip before tugging on it with his teeth. He presses his fingers into his hip bone and the slight pain makes Chris’ eyes roll into the back of his head. He places his hand on top of Nate’s because he doesn’t want him to move it. Sale wraps his legs around Nate’s lower back, desperately trying to make their bodies impossibly closer. The sweat from their skin is mixing together and Chris still wants to feel more of Nate’s skin against his.

Nate has never fucked anyone this hard before. He has never felt the need to until now. He wants to fuck away his pain as much as Chris does. He can still hear David hoarsely whispering “I love you” in his ear from the last time they were together. Nate wants to chase that sound away. He closes his eyes hoping it will help, but it only makes the memory more vivid. He places a kiss onto Sale’s chin before moving down to his neck. He presses his lips against his neck, right at his pulse point. It makes Chris’ entire body shiver; he doesn’t know if it’s from fear or anticipation. He can practically taste how fast the blood is pumping underneath his veins.

“Turn over,” Nate tells him in an authoritative voice.

Chris starts leaking pre-cum as he gets on all fours for Nate. Rick would never boss him around like this and that makes him want more of it. Nate tightly grips his waist as he starts fucking him harder. Sale feels more like an object than a person right now and it’s exactly what he craves. Nate’s breathing picks up and Chris knows that he won’t be able to keep up at this pace for much longer. He slows down and then he slips one of his hands in between his legs, surprising Chris. Out of all the things Sale has been thinking about and focusing on, an orgasm wasn’t one of them. Nate leans forward until his mouth is right by Chris’ ear. He flicks his right ear lobe with his tongue before sucking on it.

Nate gently bites his ear lobe. “Shit, Chris. I’m gonna cum, cum with me.”

Sale’s vision goes black for a few seconds as his orgasm courses through him. Nate makes a few uncoordinated thrusts and he cums, too. Their bodies collapse onto the mattress from both physical and mental exhaustion. Eovaldi pulls out once they catch their breaths. He ties the full condom into a knot and he tosses it into the small trash can across the room. An awkward silence fills the room. Neither man knows what to do now. Nate doesn’t know if he should stay or leave and Chris isn’t sure either. They pull up the covers at the same time as their bodies start to cool down.

“Thank you,” Chris eventually tells him.

“You’re welcome,” Nate softly says.

“What happens now?” Chris asks.

“I don’t know,” Nate admits.

The ache in Sale’s chest hasn’t completely gone away, but he does feel slightly less lonely. He tenderly runs his fingers through Nate’s hair as he asks him if he wants to spend the night. Nate gently presses his thumb against the bruise that he can see forming on Chris’ hip bone. He looks up at Sale’s face and he can’t quite read the expression behind them. He nervously bites his lip as he agrees to stay. Eovaldi unconsciously scoots closer to Chris and wraps his arms around him. He’d give anything in the world to be cuddling with David like this right now. Chris desperately wishes that Nate’s arms were Rick’s holding him tight. Since they both can’t have what they really want, they’ll settle for having each other instead.

**Author's Note:**

> This is definitely something a little out of my wheelhouse and comfort zone, but I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> I’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment!
> 
> I feel like I could definitely explore Chris and Nate’s relationship here more, I kind of have some ideas in my head already.


End file.
